Tomorrow there will be a referendum here in DK in regards to EU.
Now, please bear with me, this is complicated stuff and even more complicated when trying to explain in English.
For a number of years DK has had a number of reservations in regards to a lot of administrative, especially judicial, agreements that works when dealing between EU countries. Like in divorce settlements, business disputes and so on. Instead we have had agreements with the individual countries or have had to settle in court about where and how to deal with such matters.
The proposal from the Parliament is that we leave the details as to how to work out the details in such matters which will in the future apply to the whole EU, to the EU Parliament. - It will then be up to the Danish Parliament to decide which DK will adhere to. I.e. a kind of joining on a volunteer basis.
So far so good. That makes sense when you glance at the proposal.
However, that means that we the voters will in the future leave all decisions in regards to having over Danish sovereignty to EU in these issues to a majority in the Parliament. I.e. they no longer have to put up the individual items for a general referendum as the Constitution demands. It will now become an administrative question.
There is currently a majority in the Parliament for leaving such future decisions in the hands of the politicians rather than having a lot of referendums.
And this is where the trouble starts!
Because there is considerably more skepticism in the general population towards EU than there is in the Parliament and the opinion-elite.
So the question is very much an issue of trust. Do we, the voters, trust our current and future politicians to follow what a majority in the population prefer? Especially given that DK politicians are very rarely voted in on their stance on EU.
The skeptics say: No! - No, we don't trust the politicians. If the question of having the Euro as currency in DK would have been up to the politicians, we would have had the Euro and not the Krone as currency now - and our economy would have been worse for it.
The yes side has IMO made a big mistake in trying to make the referendum about our membership of Europol. Europol is the EU-variant of Interpol, just with considerably more value for European countries.
They have claimed that if it's a no tomorrow, we will be kicked out of Europol and bandits and pedophiles from all over the world, not to mention Martians, will congregate on little DK and snatch us from our beds.
Nonsense! Says the no side. Norway and Switzerland have agreements with Europol. They don't have influence but these countries haven't become lawless and no one in Europe are the least bit interested in keeping DK out of Europol.
Okay, what about the other items then? It's complicated, but there are clear benefits in saying yes, rather than staying outside, says the yes-side.
Yeah, but how are these rules to be enforced? Will it be a better or worse deal than we have now? It's a bit murky. Says the no side. - Basically no one knows. Because no one can see into the future and foresee with certainly what rules will end up being implemented.
How about the common EU-policy on asylum and immigrants? You say there is a political agreement in the Parliament in keeping DK out of that one. But can we trust you? There is nothing written down. You, and future MP's are free to vote in joining the common asylum policy.
How insulting! Responds the yes side. Of course you can trust us. We've given our word.
ADDED: As this was written the PM said that DK risk becoming a magnet for refugees/immigrants. - Nonsense, responds the no-side. That's last moment scare-tactics.
But, says the no side, why do we even need more EU now? EU isn't doing too well at the moment! Schengen is breaking down. And the monetary union? The less said about that the better! And look at the Brits. They might leave!
Get real! Says the yes-side. We can't do without EU. EU has to be able to compete with USA and China and later on India and Brazil, otherwise we are screwed economically. That's the future. You may not like it, but that's the way it is!
- So now you should have a little idea about what's going on here in DK.
This doesn't involve the DRF directly. The Monarch still has to sign all laws here in DK, even if they are copied from EU.
But, if the vote tomorrow is a yes, the politicians
are actually given free hands. They can completely disregard the populations in a number of decisions. It may cost them their seat at the next election, but by then there is no turning back if a law from EU has been passed and implemented. There is no clause of regret unless we leave EU altogether.
So even if 100.000 people stand outside the Parliament every single day in protest, the politicians can switch off their hearing aide and vote as they see fit.
The last hurdle is the Monarch. QMII can in theory refuse to sign. And thus adhere to the will of the people.
- I think resident Danes can deduce what my vote will be tomorrow.
